The Proposal
by cupcake0118
Summary: Hermione is frustrated when Draco seems to have forgotten Valentine's Day. But what is he hiding in his trouser pocket? One-shot. Written for Umbrella-Ella's "Romantics at Heart (Or Are We?)" Challenge. Pic not mine.


Hermione landed with a tired sigh in the grate of Malfoy Manor. She stepped from the fireplace and brushed the soot from her plain brown work robes.

Crookshanks approached her languidly and bent his fuzzy head to stroke her calf.

"Hey, Crooks," she whispered and bent to scratch behind his ears.

She straightened up and stepped further into the sitting room. She was confused as to why it was so dark. Draco had said he would be home at four, and it was now six. Hermione frowned, but continued down the hall and up the stairs to their master bedroom.

The rest of the house was quiet, dark and very still. Not even a house elf came to greet her. Annoyance bubbled up her spine as she removed the unbecoming robe and changed into comfortable pyjama bottoms and one of Draco's old shirts.

She huffed as she pulled harder than necessary at her hair, forcing it up into a messy bun on top of her head. He had forgotten, apparently. Hermione knew he would. Draco was intelligent and observant, but he was clueless when it came to dates.

He had only remembered her birthday last year because Harry had sent him an owl the day before reminding him. He had remembered their first anniversary two months later because his mother had visited that morning and asked what he had planned for Hermione.

And now it was Valentine's Day. Granted, Hermione had scoffed when Ginny had gushed about the mini-vacation Harry was taking her on when the four of them had had dinner last week, and then announced that she did not believe in celebrating such a commercialised holiday. But that didn't mean that she would have objected to some flowers or a box of chocolates from Honeydukes.

In fact, she had been secretly hoping to arrive home to a candle lit dinner tonight. Nothing over the top; just a simple meal with a nice wine and good music.

Hermione heard the whoosh of the floo activating downstairs and pondered whether she should storm down there and demand why Draco had not sent her a gift today, or stay in their bedroom, stewing in their room and wait for him to come up and find her.

Before she could decide, there was a _pop!_ Of apparition, and a grinning Draco appeared before her.

"Hey, you," he drawled, stepping closer and making to encircle his arms around her waist.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked coldly, pushing his hands away.

Draco looked bewildered, "I had to run some errands," he said slowly, trying to decipher the emotion in Hermione's eyes.

"You said you'd be home at four," Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip to stop herself from pouting like a child.

Draco frowned "I did."

"So where were you?"

"I told you; running errands."

"What errands?"

"Just errands," Draco scowled and removed his gaze from her face.

"What errands, Draco?" Hermione's voice was rising and Draco sensed the warning behind her words.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he attempted a light-hearted tone, but it came off squeaky and guilt-ridden.

"You're hiding something," Hermione pointed an accusatory finger at him and appraised him with narrowed eyes.

Draco sighed in frustration, "Really, Hermione? Are you that insecure?"

"No!" She shouted indignantly, "I just do not appreciate being lied to!"

"I'm not lying, I'm withholding information."

"Same thing."

"No, it's not actually."

"You are infuriating!" Hermione stomped her foot and glared at the man in front of her.

"I've been known to have that effect on people," Draco smirked and raised his gaze to watch Hermione.

She marched over to their walk in wardrobe and began hauling a suitcase over to their bed.

"What are you doing?" Draco leant against one of the wooden posts.

"What does it look like?" She spat.

"It looks like you're going somewhere."

"Well done, Genius. I'm going to stay with my parents."

"Why?" Draco drawled, though he would bet half the fortune sitting in his Gringotts vault that he already knew the answer.

"Because you're impossible!" Hermione huffed and collapsed on the bed next to her suitcase.

"I've heard that before," Draco murmured.

"You never remember anything important! At least not without having to be reminded by your mummy or one of my friends!"

Hot, angry tears were forming in the corners of Hermione's eyes and she blinked them back furiously.

"So this is about Valentine's Day?"

"Yes!" Hermione threw her arms up in frustration, "Wait! You remembered?"

"Of course I did," Draco said haughtily.

"Then why…"

"You said you didn't want to celebrate it," he was examining his nails, "At Potter's, remember?"

Hermione clenched her hands into fists.

"You…you…ASSHOLE!" She spat and Draco raised his eyebrows in amusement.

"I'm sorry; I fail to see how that makes me an asshole?"

"You should have known!" She moaned, "You should have known I'd want _something! _Some flowers, a box of chocolates, dinner…hell, I would have settled for _having you home_ when I flooed in!"

Hermione was breathing heavily, her brown eyes flashing angrily at Draco. He was feeling equally frustrated by now.

"What the actual fuck, Granger?" He hissed, "You told me you didn't want to celebrate Valentine's Day; that you didn't believe in it! What the hell was I supposed to do? The last time I used Legilimency on you, you threatened to hex me into oblivion!"

"I'm a girl, idiot!" Hermione snapped, "All girls want _something_ on Valentine's Day! I wasn't expecting anything big; just having you home when you said you would be here would have sufficed! I've had a shit day at work and to top it all off, my boyfriend was MIA when I got home, and is withholding information on his whereabouts!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Hermione, grow up!" Draco rolled his eyes and moved so he was crouched in front of Hermione.

"Tell me where you were," she demanded feebly.

"Nowhere, now drop it."

"No, I most certainly will not _drop it!_"

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling long and loud.

"If you don't tell me this instant, Draco Malfoy I swear to Merlin - "

"For fucks sake, Granger!" Draco hissed and dug his hand into his pocket. He held it out, palm up, in front of Hermione's face.

"What…?"

"This is where I was!" His breathing was laboured, and Hermione could see rage building in his grey irises.

He thrust the small velvet box into Hermione's hand and she took it shakily.

"Open it," he commanded and Hermione did as he asked.

She gasped when the lid popped open and revealed a beautiful diamond ring.

"Holy shit…" she breathed and Draco felt his lips twitch up in a smile.

"It took a lot longer to find than I expected," he explained as shifted on to one knee, "I had hoped to be back here by four, as promised, but I couldn't find what I wanted…what I believed _you_ would want. My plan was to come home and whisk you away to somewhere ridiculously romantic like Paris or Rome, and ask you to marry me. But you, my stubborn, beautiful witch…you had to mess up my plans, didn't you?"

Hermione noticed the flash of a grin grace Draco's face through the wetness of her tears. She half giggled, half sobbed and Draco reached up to cup her cheek.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you infuriate me to no end, but I love you with all that I am, and I promise to always do so. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

Unable to speak as her throat was constricted with unshed tears, Hermione nodded enthusiastically.

Draco grinned and pulled them both to their feet. He took the delicate ring from its box and placed it on Hermione's finger.

"Perfect," she whispered.

"That you are," he breathed before wrapping his arms around her slim waist and lowering his head to capture her lips in a soft but passionate kiss.


End file.
